I would like to share with you my testimony of how the Lord called me out of Christianity. First, I’ll give a little background information. I was raised in a very small rural community in NC where most of the people were relatives of mine and attended the Lutheran Church. I had attended this same church all my life. My husband joined this church when we married and I was content with where I was in life. I sang in the choir, lead the little children’s opening for Sunday school, was President of the Young Adult group, etc.
Then in 1995, things started to change. My husband started taking an Old Testament class with a friend and co-worker (Wendell Satterwhite). God started dealing with my husband but I was not interested in what he was learning. I was stuck in my traditions (things that I had been taught my whole life) and I did not want to change. My husband stopped attending the Lutheran church and started going to home prayer meetings held by Pastor John Clark. At Pastor John’s, they told about the Holy Ghost Baptism and speaking in tongues, something that I had been taught only happened in the time of the disciples. I was very upset that my husband was no longer attending the church with me and I was miserable for the next four years.
As I got more and more miserable, I gained something wonderful from being miserable. I started talking to God, really talking and asking him questions about what was really the truth. I started questioning the doctrines I had been taught all my life, things like Water Baptism or Holy Ghost Baptism, Communion with a little wafer and a sip of wine or fellowship in the Spirit?
One day, I suggested to my husband that he go with me one Sunday a month to the Lutheran church and then I would go with him to his meeting one Sunday a month. He told me that there was nothing at the Lutheran place for him to return to but he would be happy for me to attend with him. So, in June 2000, I attended a prayer meeting at Pastor John’s. Pastor John was teaching on two of the questions I had been talking to God about that day. What Pastor John was saying started really making sense to me. God used this message to continue opening my eyes and ears to his truth. During this time, I was still attending the Lutheran Church but going with my husband one Sunday a month to Pastor John’s prayer meetings.
In Sept. 2000, while sitting in a Sunday school class at the Lutheran Church, I heard the following question “What are you doing still sitting here?” At first I was a little startled, but there was no doubt in my mind; I knew God was asking me that question! The other people in the room were continuing their discussion but I was only hearing that little question in my mind “What are you doing still sitting here?”. Then the answer came to me very simply; I don’t know why I am still sitting here. I realized I no longer believed as they did. God had opened my eyes to see that the baptism we need is the Holy Ghost baptism evidence by speaking in tongues, the communion we need is fellowship in his Spirit, the robes we need to wear are the robes of righteousness and many other truths that I had never seen or heard in the church I attended. After the class ended, I took care of some details of letting people know I would not be attending anymore. I left and never looked back. I thought it would be hard to leave since I had been a very active member at this church for over 45 years but God made it easy.
I started attending Pastor John’s gatherings and seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost. On June 19, 2001, God accepted my repentance and made me one of His children. How do I know that? Because He baptized me with the Holy Ghost and gave me the proof . . . . the evidence of tongues or stammering lips.
Now I am learning how real God is. He will speak to us, if we take the time to listen. I was sitting in a prayer meeting not too long ago when Pastor John said that the people God has called out of Christianity are some of the most blessed people on earth. I knew I felt very blessed and thankful for what God had done for me, but it wasn’t until that moment that I felt the full impact of what God had done when He spoke those words to me in 2000 - “What are you doing still sitting here?” That was God’s call to me!!! God’s call to me to come out of Christianity and into Life. I pray that everyone God calls out to will hear His cry, “Come out of her my people”.